Etiquette for Lycra Clad Nutters?

[hawker1986]

To be honest I often think that the cyclists on our roads are a bit of a liability and am irritated by them zooming up the inside of my stopped car 10cms from my wing mirror risking damage.

Truth is there a dubious road users of all sorts - drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. Seen bad driving which might have lead to an accident, madness from cyclists and pedestrians just randomly stepping into the road. I can understand why cyclists get irate - they are much more at risk of serious harm than those of us in a car. Were probably all guilty of it at times because were all human and fallible.

OP I have had similar experience as you from a cyclist - though directed at my wife. She was driving to work and as it happens I was following her taking the same route on my way to work and she overtook a cyclist - leaving a lot of space actually all the way on the other lane but she revved the engine on her 350z to get passed promptly. Anyway she then got to a roundabout and the cyclist came on the inside of her and started hammering on the window and scared the crap out of her shouting at her about how she was driving dangerously. Anyway I was very pleased I had a dashcam as I was following all this. I got out and asked the cyclist why he was harassing my wife and he then started shouting at me that she was dangerous and I, surprisingly politely as I was pretty angry, told him that was fine and we should find somewhere safe to get off the road - not in front of a roundabout in rush hour - and we could call the police and they can review the dashcam footage I have of her overtake and then his behaviour. As I saw her give him lots of space as she overtook but if they didn't feel she had done anything wrong we would be finding out if we could take legal action against his behaviour. Anyway he just cycled off and refused to stop and do anything. I think he just heard engine noise and got angry. Total C*** but motorists get road rage too. I think dashcams are great but I don't think people should be dragging off every piece of footage to the police - were all human and make mistakes.

 

[jigger]

I just had an exchange with three morons. What is it when some people get on a bike. It seemed like these guys had to take every opportunity to pass cars, even to the point of putting themselves in danger to prove a point.

Normally I’d just get on with my day but these fellas wanted to push for every millimetre in a very tight section of roadworks and on both side of the car. The exchange wasn’t pleasant, but hopefully these chaps will think twice next time and be a little more courteous to other road users and a lot less militant with their attitude.

 

[Lethal`]

Funny how our perceptions and actual events can be different - I'd have sworn visibility was around 150m at that point (not a factor) but looking at the video it wasn't so bad through that bit and could see around half a mile or so at that point but my memory was of the whole journey being misty. Also only 1 of the adults (the one at the back of the line) had a child on the back of the bike my memory was of both adults having a child on the back.

Spoiler

Could you have got any closer to them?

 

[Rroff]

Could you have got any closer to them?

I'm driving a larger pickup with wide-angle dashcam on the dashboard - it isn't as close as it looks.

Though much of why I posted is because I came across them tucked in just after the apex on a bend with little visibility and it didn't leave much of a safety margin and I was approaching a good bit slower than I see many people go through there.

 

[jpaul]

I was going to ask whether you optionally have speed on the dashcam images (think I asked before?) ... that helps, more quickly, exonerate you, in any accident ?

of her shouting at her about how she was driving dangerously.

I'm always happy to explain why I have sworn at a driver overtaking my bike, it's usually near-passes, like the earlier poilceman picture, most drivers can't be cyclists themselves otherwise, no explanation would be necessary.
The new 2021 car tech with enforced gps max speeds, is going to probably create a lot of cyclist overtake accidents as drivers won't be able to just put their foot down, and will have to calculate in advance intercept point with a bike, and oncoming car, to seemlessly pass.
Equally, for cars (even now) with emergency braking based on radar, if you get too close to a bike how do they behave.


Yes- filtering through narrow gaps in bikes should be deplored - Darwinism will have its way.

 

[bazzabear]

their submissive road positioning too, better off rolling, further out, where the car tyres clean the road ... equally there's no point presenting the opportunity to a car of trying an overtake without crossing to the other side of the road; there's a category of driver who think it's a cardinal sin crossing a (dashed) white line.

Interesting points - because while I agree entirely, from posts in this thread and elsewhere, you know that they'd get dogs abuse if they dared ride a foot into the road.

There was stuff about the temerity of bikers riding two abreast - ignoring the fact that if there isn't space to overtake two riders abreast, then there isn't space to overtake at all! When I used to commute daily along the A34 (between Congleton and Alderley Edge), the amount of people who thought it was OK to overtake a single cyclist in the face of oncoming traffic by just not crossing the centre line was breath taking. Missing the cyclist by millimetres.

If people correctly recognised that they should be right over on to the other lane in order to overtake a cyclist, maybe they wouldn't get so irate about the cyclist apparently denying them an overtake by riding 'selfishly' (otherwise known as in a manner to protect their own lives!)

Do they still do those reflector lights on plastic strips which stick out the side, to stop people trying to clip you on the way past?

(Disclaimer to this post - I hardly ride on the road, and certainly not in heavy traffic. I have a lot of sympathy for those who do.)

 

[Shadowness]

Most drivers don't realise it's safer for us (the cyclists) and them, to ride two abreast.

It discourages drivers NOT to squeeze past as mentioned above.

We had a classic case on Sunday. We singled out on a busy main road, and a bloody 4x4 with horse box tried to squeeze past. Driver in the opposite direction had to swerve off the road to avoid.

Also, if we're two abreast, it's half the distance to overtake.

 

[Rroff]

I was going to ask whether you optionally have speed on the dashcam images (think I asked before?) ... that helps, more quickly, exonerate you, in any accident ?

It requires an additional GPS module that I don't have - I bought pretty much the cheapest dashcam that isn't completely ****.

When I used to commute daily along the A34 (between Congleton and Alderley Edge), the amount of people who thought it was OK to overtake a single cyclist in the face of oncoming traffic by just not crossing the centre line was breath taking. Missing the cyclist by millimetres.

Yeah the number of drivers I see squeeze past cyclist with traffic coming the other way is ridiculous - more than once I've had the driver behind me gesticulating at me to "just go around them" when I've dropped down to the cyclist's pace until it is suitable to overtake.

Two of the roads I commute on most often, which to me seem almost suicidal places for cyclists to be, seem popular for cyclists to be on - during rush hour I rarely don't encounter at least one cyclist usually more unless the weather is bad (the main reason I have a dashcam at all is I've seen so many near misses involving cyclists on my main commute including a couple of my own and wanted my back covered so to speak).

 

[Nasher]

Most drivers don't realise it's safer for us (the cyclists) and them, to ride two abreast.

It discourages drivers NOT to squeeze past as mentioned above.

We had a classic case on Sunday. We singled out on a busy main road, and a bloody 4x4 with horse box tried to squeeze past. Driver in the opposite direction had to swerve off the road to avoid.

Also, if we're two abreast, it's half the distance to overtake.

So it's NOT safer then lol

 

[lordrobs]

So it's NOT safer then lol

We had a classic case on Sunday. We singled out on a busy main road, and a bloody 4x4 with horse box tried to squeeze past.

It is a pain as other than narrow lanes two abreast is easiest for the driver overtaking as the overtake is half the distance yet doing so causes so much rage we tend to find ourselves going single file on a club run to avoid the abuse.

One thing I find really counterproductive is the stenciling of a bicycle on an unsuitable footpath. That seems to instantly give drivers the ammunition to instruct you to "USE THE ******* BIKE LANE" even though it is 10am on a Sunday, there are 15 of us, we are doing 20 mph and they are the only other car on the road... driving in the opposite direction

 

[Nasher]

But they aren't going to get a meter of clearance or whatever when they do that. It'll be pretty close on rural roads.

They also tend to lean over the center line on corners, which risks having their head taken off by someone coming the other way.

 

[Rroff]

One thing I find really counterproductive is the stenciling of a bicycle on an unsuitable footpath

I find cycle routes and lanes in this country head scratching - given the whole prominence of environmental issues, etc. you'd think they'd want to make it easier, safer and promote cycling but by and large provisions for cycles are at best an after-thought and under-funded - occasionally they've had a spurt of it where there are sections that are better surfaced, better thought out, etc. I guess when money became available but then to get from one such section to the next is a mess and usually more effort and complication than the cyclist just using the road the whole way.

 

[Shadowness]

So it's NOT safer then lol

Not quite sure how you figured that from what I wrote

 

[fastwunz]

Come take a drive around the main roads of Esher, Epsom, Cobham etc on a weekend.

It will terrify you - mobs of cyclists (literally 10-20) in a pack approaching a roundabout with cars using it correctly - the cyclists almost without exception simply plough on as if they are in a some sort of race causing cars to break half way through a legitmate turn on a roundabout. Its down right disgraceful - almost as bad as the outfits they are wearing.

 

[Diddums]

The year is 2041. The middle east is still a radioactive no-fly zone where the genetic mutations of the locals are still being studied but scientists remain unconvinced that it's due to radiation exposure and are still to rule out chemical warfare. Donald Trump's head has been retrieved from cryo-stasis and is in the process of being attached to Boston Dynamic's latest EXOSUIT GT-R™ to enable Donald to campaign to take charge of the Global United Space Heroes and bring freedom to the remaining 5% of the world still not enjoying their mandatory freedom. Australia's cloning of various wildlife has gone off the rails and created mutant creatures with the tree climbing abilities of koalas, jumping abilities of kangaroos, speed of a tiger beetle and the night vision of a Huntsman spider. These creatures are a threat to the Australian people, their only hope of survival is to hide behind the PermaFire™ wall.

In England most of the internet infrastructure has been taken over in an ongoing cyber war between Google and Huawei, with only pockets of unrestricted internet access still available through specialist internet cafes. It is in one of these cafes that we witness the 70 year old ongoing, online war between the HoverCar™ drivers and MagnoBike™ riders. It is here that the future of human transportation is being decided, on the battlefield of Overclockers Motors.

 

[Rroff]

Come take a drive around the main roads of Esher, Epsom, Cobham etc on a weekend.

It will terrify you - mobs of cyclists (literally 10-20) in a pack approaching a roundabout with cars using it correctly - the cyclists almost without exception simply plough on as if they are in a some sort of race causing cars to break half way through a legitmate turn on a roundabout. Its down right disgraceful - almost as bad as the outfits they are wearing.

Have to say that is something I've not encountered yet fortunately - the most I've come across is 4 who were cooperating fully with traffic.

 

[Nasher]

Come take a drive around the main roads of Esher, Epsom, Cobham etc on a weekend.

It will terrify you - mobs of cyclists (literally 10-20) in a pack approaching a roundabout with cars using it correctly - the cyclists almost without exception simply plough on as if they are in a some sort of race causing cars to break half way through a legitmate turn on a roundabout. Its down right disgraceful - almost as bad as the outfits they are wearing.

Get infront and brake check them

 

[Uther]

I'm not sure if it's just cyclists, but people in general seem a lot more agressive on the roads than they used to be.
Not sure about leaving 1M to pass a cyclist, I tend to give them the same amount of room I would if they were in a car.

 

[jpaul]

Not quite sure how you figured that from what I wrote

you had implied you were travelling two abreast but the horse box over-took anyway, unless classic implied 1 a breast. ..it was confusing ?

Not sure about leaving 1M to pass a cyclist,

you are implying you leave less ? ... I'd be swearing .. I still need feedback on the most appropriate swear words to penetrate the car and drivers brain as they pass ?
many car drivers leave more space from parked cars than bicycles.

It will terrify you - mobs of cyclists (literally 10-20) in a pack approaching a roundabout with cars using it correctly

there must be enough annoyed drivers with dash cams to have named and shamed local clubs if thats true, if not, to submit the footage to the police ?

 

[Uther]

are implying you leave less ? ... I'd be swearing .. I still need feedback on the most appropriate swear words to penetrate the car and drivers brain as they pass ?
many car drivers leave more space from parked cars than bicycles.

Go back and read it again...
I will usually (pretty much always) pass a cyclist by driving on the other side of the road.